أحيا و عندي عزة الشاعر

أحيا و عندي عزة الشاعر

ذي القلم الملتزم الطاهرِ

ذي القلم الملتزم الطاهرِ

I live with the dignity of a poet,

I live and I have the pride of a poet

Whose pen is committed and pure.

With a pen committed and pure

بيتي جوارَ الشمسِ شيدتُهُ

بيتي جوارَ الشمسِ شيدتُهُ

و اسمي سما رغم أذى الفاجرِ

و اسمي سما رغم أذى الفاجرِ

I built my house beside the sun,

I built my home by the sun

And my name soared despite the evildoer's harm.

And my name reached the sky despite the harm of villains

من منهل الصدق أنا شارب

من منهل الصدق أنا شارب

ماضيَ في الصدق كما حاضري

ماضيَ في الصدق كما حاضري

From the wellspring of truth I drink;

I drink from the spring of truth

My past is truthful, as is my present.

My past and present are in truth

يحمل شعري فكرتي راجيا

يحمل شعري فكرتي راجيا

نقلي كما أنا إلى الناظر

نقلي كما أنا إلى الناظر

My poetry carries my thought, hoping

My poetry carries my idea hoping

To convey me, as I am, to the beholder.

To convey me as I am to the viewer

ما الشعر إن كانت مضامينه

ما الشعر إن كانت مضامينه

منتوج هاذٍ لم يبِنْ هاذرِ

منتوج هاذٍ لم يبِنْ هاذرِ

What is poetry if its contents

What is poetry if its contents

Are the product of a raving babbler who did not speak clearly?

Are the product of a frivolous mind

لا يرتوي القارئ منه و لا

لا يرتوي القارئ منه و لا

يسمو به من نبضه الفاتر

يسمو به من نبضه الفاتر

The reader does not quench his thirst from it, nor

The reader is not quenched by it

Does it lift him beyond his languid pulse.

Nor does it elevate one with a numb pulse

يا مبهِماً في شعره لم تقل

يا مبهِماً في شعره لم تقل

شعرا و ذا من حظك العاثرِ

شعرا و ذا من حظك العاثرِ

O you who obscure meaning in your poetry, you have not uttered

O obscure in your poetry, you have not said

Poetry—and this is part of your ill fortune.

Poetry and that is your bad luck